Union'd We Stand
by AuthorsSilence
Summary: David Jacobs was the new kid, again. But according to his parents his last one, at a shitty New York High School. It's the same as every year, except this year it feels impossible to do anything but worry. About grades, family, and money. It just seems like life couldn't get worse. And then Jack Kelly sassed into his life. Literally.
1. First Days Are Shit

David Jacobs was not excited about starting a new school. His twin sister, Sara, didn't seem excited either. His little brother Les was ecstatic. It was like they were a scale of a range of emotions. David at the lowest, had just gotten settled at his old school only for him to be ripped up. This was their first big move after The Accident, as he and Sarah liked to call it. And so far there was no promise of income or anything hopeful with this move.

And the upending doom of school. But that was according to the law, not to the circumstances of moving. David tried not to gulp as his parent's minivan stopped in front of his new high school. New Jersey had sucked because of how dull it had been, along with the people in it. But Manhattan was a big step up. Big cities meant a lot of people. A lot of people meant a lot of problems. A lot of problems developed into darker situations down the road which would only lead him to a big fail. A big fail mean-

"You do know that part of school is getting out of the car right?" Les chimed from the back seat. David blinked noticing Sarah waiting patiently outside the car and the crowd of students going inside.

"Really?" David deadpanned. Les snorted and David got feeling the kid didn't realize the sarcasm. He gave a quick goodbye to his mom and ignored Les's comment on how big his eyes were.

"It's not gonna be bad. This is a big school" Sarah offered as they joined the crowd of students.

"Not like Wyoming." David joked.

"Nothing will ever be as bad as Wyoming."

The instructions from the school had been simple. All they had to do was pick up their schedules from the office and be on their way. The office was easy to find as most of the students steered clear from the glass window with scowling adults. Sarah, being the braver twin, not that David would ever disgrace her with her title stepped up to the counter.

"Jacobs?" The lady at the desk said before Sarah could even open her mouth.

"That's us." Sarah answered while David nodded dumbly.

"Well I'm , the vice principal. Everything you need should be in here. Take it and be on your way." The woman handed them manilla folders. David wasn't sure to take the curt meeting as offensive. Sarah dragged David out the office to the still busy hallway.

"The schedules almost align completely on B days." David pointed out trying to distract himself from the scare of people around him.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." David tried to think of a witty response as he watched Sarah silently salute him and disappear in the crowd. The bell would be ringing soon, meaning he had to get to class soon.

NY high school sucked. For him anyway. Sarah seemed to be doing fine. He'd seen her twice in the hallway. And the second time she hadn't even seen him because she'd been engrossed in a conversation with some other girl. And the second bell rang again. Meaning he was late and lost he realized, in the period before lunch.

_210_, David thought going down stairs. At some point, he'd ended up on the 3rd floor.

"Yoohoo," A voice echoed in the stairwell almost making David shit himself.

"This the new kid isn't it?" An almost identical voice sneered. David tried not to wince at the exaggerated New York accent.

"Hey New Kid, I'm talking to you. What's your name?"

David sped toward the door. Nothing seemed right about whoever was in the stairwell. Who had yet to show themselves. Just as he saw the grey door a smirking boy stepped in front of him and pushed him back.

"You didn't hear my brother? Oscar, I don't think he heard you. Or maybe he just doesn't know how this school is run."

"How would I?" David retorted. He was sick of the movie like bullies and his mouth happened to walk ahead of his brain sometimes. The two boys were grinning menacingly at each other and seemed surprised that David had answered. It wasn't his first time dealing with bullies.

"What?" Oscar, he presumed, asked. David rolled his eyes and attempted to subtly inch towards the door.

"How would I know how the school is run? I mean you said it yourself, I am the new kid and that-"

Oscar's brother shoved David against the wall. _Shit_. David thought. This was definitely not on his nonexistent plan.

"The hell you say?"

"He asked how he would know. Which is a good question Morris." A new boy appeared. He leaned leisurely on the staircase waiting for a response. David's perpetrators attention moved from him to the stairway kid.

"This isn't your business Kelly." Morris growled.

"Aw, mad you can't soak me and so you get the new kid instead?" The boy was off the landing now and was leaning on the wall seemed unbothered. David could only hole that whoever this kid was able to get him out of this wouldn't just sass the bullies.

Oscar, the one furthest from David, stalked toward the boy who waited until the last second and punched the boy in the face. David's jaw dropped as the kid raced towards Morris, shoved him out of the way and dragged David by his wrist through the door. While laughing. David couldn't believe it. But he didn't have time to consider whatever the hell was happening because he could hear shouts following them.

"Can you run any slower? The Delancy's won't hesitate to kick your ass, New Boy." The boy had David by the hand now as they skidded through the hallways. Eventually they came to a hallway and ducked into the bathroom.

"I think we lost them." The boy took a deep breath before straightening himself out. "I'm Jack."

"Is that...is that a normal thing here?" David wheezed. He couldn't even remember the last time he exercised.

"Only if you know to get caught by the Delancy's." Jack grinned at David. "You got a name New Boy?"

David got his first good look at Jack. It was hard to notice anything besides his smirk that showed he probably didn't give two shits about anything. Along with the way he stood and just the vibes he gave off as Sarah and Les would say. So David mentally classified him as a douche.

"New Kid? You zone out on me?' Jack asked grinning at David.

"David. David Jacobs." David blurted and stuck his hand out robotically. Jack stifled a laugh and shook David's hand.

"Jack Kelly." They stood awkwardly in the bathroom shaking hands until Jack let go. "I take it you got lost." Jack asked. David nodded and started uncrumpling his schedule.

"I'm supposed to be in 210." David muttered."I think we passed it while we were running."

"Well yes but actually no. Something happened to the pipe in 210 so your class is actually across the campus in the basement."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that?" David asked beginning to hate New York even more.

"First time at a shitty school?" Jack smirked. They stood in the bathroom again, David staring at his schedule wondering if there were any other unexpected changes.

"Should I try to make it?" David looked at Jack for an answer.

"There are ten minutes left of class. Just chill here and stay away from the sticky spots." Jack pulled a sharpie out of his pocket and started doodling on the walls. And thus began the longest ten minutes of David's life. A year or two later the bell rang, startling them both. David dropped the book he'd been reading and Jack messed his drawing up.

"You got somewhere to sit at lunch?" Jack asked admiring whatever he'd scrawled on the walls. David shook his head. "Follow me Davey!"

Jack grinned and practically dragged David out of the boys room. David didn't want to admit it but walking down the hallway with a person was a lot better than being alone.


	2. A Battle Known As A Lunch Room

Jack talked the entire time about the teachers, the classes, and students. He also mentioned a guy named 'Snyder The Spider" who was apparently a terror to everyone except people under Pulitzer's protection. Pulitzer, the principal. Who also happened to be a grade A asshole. According to Jack anyway. With all Jack's talking David didn't even realize they had reached the lunch room until he was hit with a wave of teenage noises.

"Wasn't that bad was it?" Jack grinned and walked David to lunch tale filled with kids. "Don't worry their nice, unless you had somewhere else to sit." David shook his head silently.

"Peasant." A random boy called. David's walk faltered thinking the kid was talking to him. He wasn't _not _used to being called out his name. Jack practically tossed his tray on the table and slid into a seat.

"Your hair is ginger right?" Jack retorted sticking his tongue out at the other boy who squawked and began a rant on how Jack was colorblind. None of the other boys paid any attention to this but David couldn't blame them either. It was about 12 boys and half as many girls sitting at a cramped table. David sat his tray down awkwardly next to Jack and slowly slid into the seat. Some of the kids tossed looks his was but nobody said anything. Maybe they were used to Jack dragging other kids to the table. David began to pick at his food and let his mind venture.

"Hey Jack who's the new kid?" The not-Ginger kid asked. Jack made some kind of noise and stood up fast bumping the table and causing complaints from most of the kids.

"Hey everybody! This is Davey! Davey! This is everybody!"

"David." David interrupted quietly. Jack moved to sit down but one of the kids shouted.

"Wait cowboy he said something!" Jack tipped an imaginary hat towards the direction of the voice and asked David what he said.

"I said David."

"Ain't that what I said?" Jack grinned sitting back down. David sighed internally and went back to daydreaming before being interrupted by a new voice.

"I'm Crutchie." The boy smiled sticking his hand out. David shook trying not to be obviously mortified at whatever was supposed to be funny. The boy had crutches to walk with for God's sake.

"David." David muttered. Crutchie smiled again, stood, and began to point to the other kids naming them.

"That's Race, Spot, Specs, Elmer, Albert, Mush, Romeo, and Finch. Everyone else has different lunches." Crutchie sat back down swatting at Jack when he tried to help. David blinked knowing damn well that he wouldn't remember any of those names.

"It's cool if you don't remember our names though. Just remember mine, I'm the most handsome." Maybe Romeo flirted wiggling his eyebrows. David guessed his face must've been a riot because that's what the table broke into. He began to wonder if he'd made a mistake sitting with these kids but was once again interrupted yet this time it was by his sister's presence, and she was being led by the girl from earlier.

"That's Katherine." Jack leaned over to tell David at the same time David leaned over to tell Jack that Sarah was his sister. They clicked their heads together, hard. With a buzzing head David began to question ever having a slither of hope for New York.

Later that day at home when his mother and father asked how their day went Sarah looked David dead in the eye and claimed she barely saw 'Davey' all day.


End file.
